Many types of fishing tackle exist for different fishing conditions. Also determinative of the type of tackle used is the preference of the angler. Two main types of rods exist, namely fly rods and conventional rods. Four main types of reels exist, namely fly reels, spinning reels, spin-casting reels, and bait-casting reels. Fly reels are used with fly rods and the later three types are normally paired with conventional rods.
In conventional fishing (hereinafter used to refer to all types of rod and reel fishing which is not fly-fishing), a line is used to connect the bait or lure to the reel. The bait or lure is cast by whipping the rod in a forward direction, thereby transferring energy to the bait or lure. The bait or lure then flies out over the water, carrying the line with it. In this situation, the bait or lure is the object to which energy is imparted through the rod and the line is passively carried out behind the bait or lure. Sometimes, a weight, typically lead, is added to increase the distance that the bait or lure can travel.
The physics of fly fishing, however, is quite different. In fly fishing, the xe2x80x9clurexe2x80x9d which is offered to trigger a fish to strike is referred to as a xe2x80x9cflyxe2x80x9d and is typically comprised of a relatively small metal hook to which appropriately colored feathers are attached, typically with appropriately colored thread. The traditions behind fly fishing are historically deep rooted and the art arose when anglers emulated hatching aquatic insects (i.e., flies) in order to hook a fish.
Nowadays, however, thousands of materials exist for tying flies and many xe2x80x9cfliesxe2x80x9d actually emulate swimming minnows or small baitfish. One aspect has remained relatively constant, however, and that is in regard to the weight (mass) of the fly. The fly is extremely light in weight and can not be cast with conventional tackle, because of this light weight. Adding weight, such as a lead sinker, is not an option as typically the fly is floated atop the water surface to simulate the hatching fly. Other factors prevent the use of weight, such as needing to xe2x80x9cdead driftxe2x80x9d the presentation in the natural stream currents, a challenging factor associated with fly fishing of which those skilled in the art are well aware.
In order to cast a fly having such little weight, fly fishing was developed. This type of fishing is different in that the terminal tackle (fly) is not the object of energy transfer from the rod, as is the lure discussed above in conventional casting. Rather, in fly casting, the fly line is the object of energy transfer from the fly rod and the line (as opposed to the terminal tackle) is what is cast. The fly is simply carried out with the line. In order to achieve this, fly lines have evolved into specially tapered lines, with mass and radial gradients along their lengths. The lines, generally, are relatively thick and have a great deal more mass per linear foot than a conventional fishing line, such as a conventional monofilament line.
Some fly lines have hollow inner cores to promote floating of the line as it lays on the water. Other lines have lead cores to promote sinking in the water, where it is the desire of the angler to sink his fly presentation, such as when a nymph, minnow, or other subsurface organism is emulated by the fly pattern used. These lines, therefore, are quite different from conventional fly lines.
Because of the thickness of these fly lines, the angler cannot simply tie a fly to the end of the fly line. The sight of such a large line connected to a light fly would spook a fish and discourage it from eating the fly. Thus, a leader, typically a monofilament similar to a conventional monofilament line, is attached to the end of the fly line. A typical leader length is 4 to 12 feet, sometimes approaching 16 feet depending upon the fishing conditions and species sought. The leader may have a constant diameter along its length, or may be tapered to aid in better presentation of the fly. Sometimes, the leader is knotless, which is a tapered leader having a decreasing diameter from its proximate end to its distal end (the proximate end being the end which is attached to the fly line). In order to achieve the same tapered affect without a knotless leader, anglers sometimes tie a series of monofilaments together, each progressive piece having a smaller diameter than its predecessor as one moves from the proximate end to the distal end. In any event, the distal end of a tapered leader has a smaller diameter than any other part of the leader.
To the distal end of the leader is attached either a tippet or a fly. Sometimes, a fly angler expects to change flies many times over the course of the day of fishing, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, as the day progresses and temperatures rise, fishing activity on the surface diminishes. Sometimes, the rising sun puts fish down, or causes a decrease in aquatic insect hatching, which generally occurs at low light conditions. Sometimes, the angler experiments with different fly patterns to find the one that works best. All of these reasons, as well as many others (e.g., a fly being torn apart after repeatedly being bit by a fish) lead the angler to tie on and cut off a number of flies during the day. This means that each time a change is made, the leader gets shorter. In order to allow a series of flies to be attached to the leader over time without each fly being tied to a thicker piece of monofilament as one progresses up the leader, a tippet is often used.
A tippet is a thin piece of material which is tied to the end of the leader and has a constant diameter. Many flies can be tied on and cut off throughout the course of fishing without having to worry about the physical characteristics of the leader changing. Thus, a typical fly fishing line system is comprised of a fly line, a leader, and a tippet, in that order, as one moves along the system toward the distal end. Oftentimes, a backing line is also in place proximate the fly line, but a discussion of the backing line is not necessary for an understanding of the invention.
As discussed above, fishermen, especially fly fishermen, will often change their lure, bait, or fly repeatedly while out on the water and between bouts of fishing. Often, an angler will cut off a lure, bait, or fly and move to another spot and try a different lure, bait, or fly. During this move or change, the loose end of the fishing line often becomes tangled, becomes subject to abrasion (and thus weakening), or is lost in the reel as it is pulled into the spool with the spooled up line. This last aspect is especially problematic with spin casting reels and fly reels, but it is a problem present with all types of tackle.
Spin casting reels have their spools enclosed with a cover, such as that shown in FIG. 1. If the end of the fishing line 100 is accidentally reeled past opening 110 of cover 120 and into the enclosed spool, the angler must open the reel and retrieve the distal end, rethread it through the opening, and replace the cover. This is especially problematic if it is windy or the angler is standing in moving water, such as a creek or river.
Fly fishing reels also present specific challenges in that, as discussed above, the fly line is particularly thick as compared to the monofilament leader or tippet. FIG. 2a shows a fly reel 200 with the line components discussed above. Extending from reel 200 is fly line 210, to which is attached leader 220, to which is attached tippet 230 at knot 235. Distal end 240 is also shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2b is the bottom view of fly reel 200, with the fly line, leader, and tippet reeled all the way in to the spool. As is seen, the leader and tippet are easily lost within the large diameter fly line. This makes regaining tactile possession of the tippet very difficult, especially with wet or cold hands, as fly fishermen often have.
Furthermore, and as noted above, different fly lines are used for different conditions. An angler might start off the day with a floating line for fishing a dry fly. Later in the morning when a hatch is over, he might switch to a sinking tip line or sinking line for use with under-water flies such as nymphs or streamers. Then later in the day when the sun is lower and a dusk hatch begins, the angler might want to switch back to the floating line spool or reel to fish dry flies again. Because of this need for flexibility, an angler, particularly a fly fisherman, will carry several different reels (or at least several different spools of lines which can be substituted into and out of the same reel) for use throughout the day.
Some devices have been developed to help meet the challenges and problems discussed above in regard to losing the end of a fishing line. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,457,095 and 4,883,238, as well as U.S. Patent Application Publication 2001/0029646 A1, all disclose devices which rely on physically pinching the line into a groove to prevent loss of the fishing line. This frictional anchoring, however, can lead to abrasion of a sensitive leader, line, or tippet monofilament.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,563 discloses a hooking device which must first be secured to a fishing rod and requires a loop to be tied in the end of the fishing line which is secured around the hook. This device requires additional shortening of the fishing line every time it is used because a loop must be tied into the distal end of the line. It also requires additional time to be spent by the angler in that a loop must be tied. It also requires that the rod and reel be together whenever it is utilized.
To solve these and other problems, a fishing line retention device that allows easy anchoring of the tippet or distal end of a fishing line, without causing damage to the line and without modifying the angler""s tackle, would be desirable. Such a device which also works even when the reel is removed from the fishing rod would be particularly desirable.
The present invention includes a fishing line retention device for use on a piece of fishing equipment. A preferred embodiment includes a device comprising a hook member having a plurality of hooks on one side and a loop member having a plurality of loops on one side. Included is a mounting adhesive disposed on either the hook member or the loop member, on a side opposite the hooks or loops. The loops cooperate with the hooks to removably attach the hook member to the loop member. The adhesive has sufficient adhesion to allow use of the device on a fishing reel to retain a fishing line.
Also included as a part of the invention is a fishing line retention device kit comprising a hook member having a plurality of hooks on one side, a loop member having a plurality of loops on one side, a mounting adhesive disposed on either the hook member or the loop member on a side opposite the hooks or loops, and a peel-away protective backing layer disposed on the mounting adhesive. The loops cooperate with the hooks to removably attach the hook member to the loop member. The mounting adhesive is preferably water-resistant and has sufficient adhesion to allow use of the device on a fishing reel.
Another embodiment of the kit of the present invention comprises a hook member having a plurality of hooks on one side, a loop member having a plurality of loops on one side, an adhesive layer disposed on each of the hook member and loop member, on a side opposite the hooks and loops, respectively. A peel-away protective backing layer is disposed on both adhesive layers. Also included is a visual indicia member indicating a physical quality of the fishing line to be retained in device.
The present invention also includes a fishing reel comprising a body, a spool attached to the body for holding line, a hook member having a first side attached to either the body or the spool, and a second side having a plurality of hooks. Included is a loop member having a plurality of loops which cooperate with the hooks to removably attach the loop member to the hook member.